Our Story


10 years in Ahuriri

July 2017 marks ten years since we started the pharmacy in Ahuriri. The lead up to celebrating the occasion has been a lovely opportunity to look back and appreciate how far we've come. From our small team of four, we've now grown to ten. Our dispensary team keep busy with scripts, offering advice and making medication packs for our customers and rest home patients. Our retail team members do wonderful work keeping the shop looking fabulous and our customers happy. And since the addition of Ahuriri Beauty Therapy, our experienced beauty therapist offers treatments on site.

It has been a pleasure to become part of this community, developing friendships with the people of Ahuriri and other businesses in the area. We have been fortunate to support local groups and host successful fundraising events of our own. Thank you to all our loyal customers for your support of Ahuriri Pharmacy over the ten years, you have made it all possible.

Claire and Nick Wallis Ahuriri Pharmacy Napier New ZealandIt all started with a dream and a lucky break really. Back in 2000, Nick and I were walking along the beachfront in Torquay in England thinking of a future of a wedding, kids, a dog and a business in New Zealand. By May 2002 those dreams had become a reality and we were starting our adventure in a gorgeous pharmacy in Hawke's Bay. In we walked with big hopes, big dreams and a little boy. We had landed on our feet with that beautiful pharmacy and over the next few years it grew, as did our family, and we began looking for the next challenge.

Boy did we find it!

The existing pharmacy had the perfect mix of pharmacy and gift shop, a variety we loved and customers that were a pleasure to serve. We looked for a way to replicate this model in another part of Hawke's Bay and so became his and her pharmacies. To establish Ahuriri Pharmacy, we purchased the Odeon Pharmacy along Hastings St, Napier and watched the progress of the new building in Bridge Street. In mid 2007, we opened the doors in Ahuriri and took our first sale of a packet of bandaids. I remember that first day, still stocking the shelves and finishing off the final details but only a small handful of customers. Thank goodness we have grown from there!

Andrea and Gavin Franklin Ahuriri Pharmacy Napier New ZealandAt this stage, Nick and I were looking for a business partner to share the journey with and we were lucky enough to be working with Andrea. She said that her and husband Gavin would be interested and so the partnership began. With fresh ideas and endless energy for life, both Andrea and Gavin are awesome partners.

Andrea now runs the pharmacy after Nick and I moved to Australia in 2010 to be with family there. I love still being able to be a part of the pharmacy and come back for regular visits to see how my favourite customers are doing.

Andrea heads up our experienced and friendly team and does a fabulous job selecting and displaying the giftware in the pharmacy.

Our Team 

We would be lost without our team. We are so fortunate to have very experienced and knowledgeable pharmacists. Mel heads up our dispensary team, completed with fellow pharmacist Chris and dispensary technician, Yvette.
Mel Barber, Pharmacist at Ahuriri Pharmacy
Mel grew up in a small town in country NSW until moving to Sydney where she completed her Bachelor of Pharmacy. In 2000, she flew to the UK to begin her OE and travel through Europe. Barcelona, Florence and Prague were favourite places. After a couple of years, she was offered a work permit and stayed on at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital.

Late 2004, Mel moved to Napier with her partner Cameron and, after being together for 11 years, they were married in 2007. They now have two beautiful daughters at Napier Central School. Mel worked in and managed a number of pharmacies in Hawke’s Bay before joining the team at Ahuriri Pharmacy in 2010. Mel heads the dispensary team and oversees our rest home and community medico pack supply.

Chris Sharp, Pharmacist at Ahuriri PharmacyChris was born and raised in Wanganui on a farm and was educated in Masterton before studying pharmacy at the Central Institute of Technology in Upper Hutt. She has three adult children and five grandchildren (so far).

In 1981 Chris and her husband Ian purchased Grants Pharmacy in Waipukurau. 1998 saw the amalgamation of the Waipukurau pharmacies and staff, including Andrea Franklin as a technician! From Amcal to Unichem, Chris and Ian sold the business after 35 years in 2016.

Chris has a passion for people and pharmacy and is qualified to administer vaccinations and oversees our long term condition patients. Come in or contact us if you have any health questions you want answered.

In the shop, you are likely to be greeted by Andrea, ready to help you find the perfect beauty product, medicine or gift for yourself or the ones you love ... or just for a chat and a smile.

2015 saw the opening of Ahuriri Beauty Therapy as a sideline business to the pharmacy. Beauty Therapists Amber and Michal offer beautiful, relaxing treatments and is an excellent source of knowledge for our customers to tap into with their beauty queries.

Interested in joining our gorgeous team? Click here for positions vacant.
 


Our Community 

Lawson family - our community at Ahuriri PharmacyWe hope you'll join us here and on facebook for regular updates. Instore and online we offer an extensive range of giftware, jewellery, body products, cosmetics, skin and hair care products, plus medicines and natural health remedies to treat and maintain your health. Shop online now.

It is our pleasure to offer you a boutique shopping experience with a personal touch. We love being a part of the Ahuriri community and making a difference in our customer's lives, so we've made it our goal to improve the health of our community. This may be through monthly health topics, natural supplements, lifestyle advice or by inviting you to join us being Healthy in Hawkes Bay.Kirsty Webb image from Hawke's Bay Today

We are privileged to have been able to support local charities and some amazing people. With your help we've been able to offer financial support to Kirsty Webb to receive life saving cancer treatment in Germany and support the Lawson family in their son's battle with cancer. 

What people are saying

"The service was fantastic from the team – especially as I phoned to ask if the vouchers were specific to the ‘treatment’ and they said yes, but kindly created a new voucher for me ‘to the value of $35 for any treatment’!!! This was greatly appreciated as it was for my mother, and she has visited you a few times now for eyebrow treatments etc, and I wanted to give her the choice of whatever she wanted. Thanks again for the extra service! I love coming into the pharmacy and the lovely ranges you have, especially I Coloniali." Rachelle

"I wanted 10 bars of my husband's favourite Fiji Pure soap. The team at Ahuriri Pharmacy contacted me personally and got the product in specially for me. Thank you!"

"Just wanted to say how impressed I am by your mail order service. It was so easy to use, the product I bought was cheaper than in stores and it arrived almost before I'd hit the send button! You do a great job - keep it up."

"Fantastic thank you. Arrived quickly and was exactly what I was after, a back up to my daughter's favourite toy! Great pricing." Sonya

"I was absolutely happy with my purchase thank you.  The 2 things that I liked most were the price and how quickly they turned up. Thanks very much." Julia

"Very happy thank you. Was very impressed with how fast I rec'd the product after purchasing." Bren

"Brilliant as usual, both product & service :)" Becca

"Absolutely brilliant service thank you" Kirsty

"I was most impressed at the speed of delivery - placed the order one day and received the product the next - great service!" Lissa

"Hi Andrea, more than happy - great service, easy to order and prompt delivery. What's not to like!! Sally"

"Hi lovely people have just enjoyed (over a cuppa) reading this wonderful information filled Ahuriri pharmacy email. Loved, loved, loved all the wonderful tips and advice from people who not only talk the talk, but walk the walk ! I would definitely like to purchase the sugar replacement, as although I don’t have sugar in drinks my lovely hubby does. Great loaf recipe I have one like this with dates, it is moist not over sweet and just perfect to serve visitors. Thanks everyone for your lovely smiles, welcoming attitude and wonderful advice , you are a fabulous team of talented individuals! Warmest regards, Jet"

"Hello to the lovely team at Ahuriri Pharmacy. Michelle is a regular visitor to my shop ROUNDABOUT PRE-LOVED BOUTIQUE FOR BREAST CANCER, and when I discovered where she worked, that piqued my interest over a year ago. Following on from that, a European gentleman was overing $5 healing treatments within your pharmacy and he came into my shop to leave some fliers about his work. (I myself took up his offer.) But there always seems to be something new, something different, happening in store.

And your newest initiative (of Rachel and the $20 facials) is just wonderful. I had found it difficult to book in to see the previous beautician (I don't enjoy on-line shopping/booking) so to be able to walk in and make a booking with whoever is at the counter is just grand.  Thanks Ahuriri Pharmacy - your service is efficient and friendly, and I look forward to a continued happy relationship between our two businesses and clients." Annie

"Hi. Yes extremely happy with it thanks. Easy to order, so much cheaper than getting it on script. Friendly staff and quick delivery. Thanks so much!!" Sheryl

"As always your service and customer 'engagement' is brilliant !! Keep doing what you are doing. You are definitely on my positive WOM list :)" Janet

"Thanks for great speedy service and good lipsticks. Delighted to have found you! Kind regards, Pat"

"Brilliant service, communication and products. Thank you so much. It is so great living rurally to be able to pop onto your website and see and order great gifts. Merry Christmas to you all." Jennie

"Very happy with goods thanks.  Your website was easy to use and delivery was prompt.  I have found cosmetics (well the ones I particularly want) not that easy to find on the web (my favourite way of shopping).  When I searched for these particular products your site came up – hence the purchase. You have a great site and no doubt you will hear from me in the future."  Trish

"Yes I got my order. I was unable to find the pots of this foot cream anywhere else. It is sheer bliss. Thank you for coming to the rescue.Deb

"Speedy delivery and a great product." Louwise

"Got my order last week.I am certainly happy with your service. Looking forward to shop with you soon again." Amandeep

"We were very happy with our order, thank you! We will definitely order again and shall mention your service to our friends. You were prompt and the products were very well packaged."

"Thank you, yes very happy with my order - it was the lippie I wanted and the service I got over the phone was very friendly, and the delivery prompt.  I thought the free hand cream sample and mints were a really lovely gesture too, so thanks for those." Cecilia from Auckland.

“I shop at Ahuriri Pharmacy because I like the people, it’s personal, great staff and service and rewards scheme”

“.. It’s gorgeous, lovely people, lovely products”

"They are great, friendly staff and the pharmacist is knowledgeable"

"I think you run a very good pharmacy, and the service is so good ... thanks"

"You do a lovely job"

"All happy here thanks, appreciated the quick delivery and all your emails!"


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